Global head of Blackstone Strategic Partners

Our team does anywhere between 100 to 150 deals a year. We use our knowledge, footprint, and familiarity with the GPs and their underlying companies and assets to determine very quickly the deals that aren’t worth our time.

Every week, we have a team meeting over lunch to talk about resource allocation, and we talk about every single deal. We assess which deals are not high quality or high probability. The next step is a quick but respectful no, which allows us to lean in and double our efforts on the high-quality deals.

With my own time, there are many times I have to say no, but I am able to rely on outstanding colleagues. Delegation is so critical to efficiency. We are all ambitious and want to succeed, but we cannot and do not have to do it alone. It’s not about you, it’s about the team. There are lots of people who are capable of doing something, and it can be their opportunity to step up, learn, and grow. Sometimes efficiency is about saying no for yourself and yes for someone else.